Sandisk Ultra 256gb MicroSDXC Review ~
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Written by:
Saeed Wazir
Updated June 27, 2022
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85 Expert Rating
Table of Contents_
- Why We Like It – Sandisk Ultra 256gb microSDXC
- Performance
- Design
- Value
- Sandisk Ultra 256gb microSDXC Wrap Up
Sandisk Ultra 256gb MicroSDXC uhs-i has an enormous memory capacity. It’s ideal for upgrading your mobile phone’s memory or recording full HD video. It can even be used to expand the storage on gaming devices like the Nintendo Switch. This memory card is durable and is resistant to temperature, water, shock, and x-rays. These are just some of the reasons why it made our best micro SD card list. For another space option, you might want to take a look at our Maxwell AirStash review.
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With a storage capacity of 256 GB, this Sandisk Ultra MicroSD card is able to fulfill a number of roles including upgrading mobile phone memory, recording videos, or backing up your files. It also comes at a reasonable price which should be affordable for most people.
Pros
- Decent storage capacity at 256 GB
- Crazy long battery life
- High read speed of up to 100MB/s
Cons
- Write speed not the fastest at 10MB/s
- It might exceed the maximum capacity of certain devices
- Some devices may encounter errors reading this card
Performance
This SD card sits in the middle of the lineup below the Sandisk Extreme and Extreme Pro ranges. However, it’s still a top performer with a gigantic 256 GB capacity. The Sandisk Ultra boasts maximum read speeds of up to 100MB/s, with write speeds hitting 10MB/s. The minimum sequential write speed sits at 30MB/s. The read and write speeds are also quick enough for full HD or even 4K recording. The Sandisk Ultra 256 GB is one of the best memory cards with more space than many other microsd cards like the Micro Center 64GB.
Related: Check out our Samsung Evo Plus review.
Design
The design is similar to most sd cards out there but doesn’t feel flimsy like some of the rivals. In fact, it’s shockproof, waterproof, temperature proof, and X-ray proof. Because of its rugged design, it comes with a 10-year limited manufacturer warranty. If you need a tougher card, the Samsung 128 GB MicroSDXC is a fantastic alternative. The MicroSDXC card comes with the ubiquitous adapter for use in a variety of devices ranging from laptops to cameras. It can also be used with the Sandisk Memory Zone app to backup files and sync your memory with cloud storage.
Value
Considering the Sandisk Ultra’s mammoth capacity, it represents great value for money. It has nearly everything you can ask for in an SD card. While the read and write speeds are not the fastest, they should be adequate for most everyday tasks. It’s still classified as Class 10, which is the highest speed class rating possible. This 256 GB memory card sits in the sweet spot between price and performance.
For a more affordable alternative, you can try the Silicon Power 64 GB 3D NAND.
Sandisk Ultra 256gb microSDXC Wrap Up
The Sandisk Ultra 256 GB comes with large memory capacity and great read and write speeds. It’s versatile enough to be used for recording HD video, playing games, and storing files. Unfortunately large capacity can be a disadvantage because some devices won’t be able to read it. Otherwise, it’s a durable memory card that comes at a fair price.
Saeed Wazir
After quitting IT hell I found a new lease of life as a writer. I currently follow my passion, writing about different topics like product reviews, video games, and insurance.
Final Words — SanDisk Ultra Plus SSD Review (256GB)
by Anand Lal Shimpion January 7, 2013 9:00 AM EST
- Posted in
- Storage
- SSDs
- Marvell
- SanDisk
38 Comments
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38 Comments
IntroductionRandom & Sequential PerformancePerformance vs.
Transfer SizePerformance ConsistencyAnandTech Storage Bench 2011AnandTech Storage Bench 2011 — Light WorkloadTRIM FunctionalityPower ConsumptionFinal Words
The Ultra Plus isn’t the fastest drive we’ve ever tested, and most other drives in its price range tend to deliver better performance. Worst case performance consistency isn’t great but it’s better than Samsung’s SSD 840 Pro, so you’re going to want to leave at least 25% of the drive free in order to avoid annoying performance variation. The drive’s redeeming qualities are basically that it is still a decent performer (way better than a hard drive), and is reasonably low power. The drive PCB itself is very small, potentially paving the way for some interesting, smaller-than-2.5″ form factors.
The SanDisk brand likely means something here as well. Any company that has to supply to major OEMs has to have good validation and qualification methods in place, which I’d hope translates into good reliability for the Ultra Plus.
Overall the Ultra Plus is a tough drive to recommend over other similarly priced SSDs simply because it doesn’t perform as well as its competitors same price class. If low power is a concern however, the Ultra Plus may fit the bill if you have a niche application. Unlike many SSDs in the past, even though the Ultra Plus isn’t the best, it’s still better than a hard drive. If you can find one for significantly less than its MSRP and are looking to upgrade a light use system to an SSD, I wouldn’t have a problem considering the drive. The trick would be finding an Ultra Plus that’s cheaper than the Samsung SSD 840 and the Intel SSD 335, which I’m not sure will happen all that frequently.
Architecturally I’d like to see something more aggressive from SanDisk. Samsung needs another competitor and I believe SanDisk could be that competitor, but it needs to get more aggressive on pursuing performance. SanDisk already has the power side figured out, the question is whether or not it can drive performance up even higher at the same time.
Most of my experiences with SanDisk drives have been in OEM systems, and there I haven’t been pleased. OEMs tend to like SanDisk thanks to its very attractive pricing and reliability track record. If the Ultra Plus’ controller + firmware combination can make it to SanDisk’s OEM client products, I’ll be a lot happier.
Power Consumption
IntroductionRandom & Sequential PerformancePerformance vs. Transfer SizePerformance ConsistencyAnandTech Storage Bench 2011AnandTech Storage Bench 2011 — Light WorkloadTRIM FunctionalityPower ConsumptionFinal Words
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Test and Review: SanDisk Ultra Plus SSD on Marvell 9175 Controller
With the new Ultra Plus line, SanDisk promises to introduce new high-speed SSDs. The new drives are built on the Marvell controller, but in a new version: instead of the famous 9174 chip, the SanDisk Ultra Plus drives use the Marvell 9175 controller. In our article, we will look at whether the SanDisk drive can set new performance records.
SSD Ultra Plus from SanDisk
Three manufacturers dominate the SSD controller market. The first of them is Samsung, which produces its own controllers and releases its own drives based on them. The other two are SandForce and Marvell, which, unlike Samsung, don’t make SSDs, but license the technology or sell the chips to third parties. Moreover, the approach of the two controller manufacturers is fundamentally different: SandForce offers an all-in-one set of a chip and firmware that manufacturers can easily and easily integrate into their solutions. SandForce does not allow manufacturers to make changes to their firmware, so nothing else is required. The only exception to this rule is Intel, which has been allowed by SandForce to release its own firmware.
This prohibitive policy has resulted in SandForce controller drives from different manufacturers showing the same speed performance. In the case of Marvell, the situation is different: the firmware offered by the manufacturer is a «skeleton», on the basis of which SSD manufacturers can create their own firmware with the desired characteristics.
For this reason, drives based on Marvell controllers, despite the same hardware stuffing, can provide different performance. We were interested to see what SanDisk was able to do with the firmware — in addition, the drive uses a new Marvell controller, which we have not yet seen in other SSDs.
SSD technical specifications are as follows:
| Manufacturer and model |
Sandisk Ultra Plus 256 GB |
|---|---|
| Retail price | N/A |
| Manufacturer website | SanDisk |
| Technical specifications | |
| Form factor | 2.5″ |
| Capacity (manufacturer’s information) | 256 GB |
| Capacity (after formatting) | 238 GiB |
| Other container options | 64, 128, 256 GB |
| Cache | 128MB DDR2 |
| Controller | Marvell 88SS9175-BJM2 |
| Memory | MLC (19 nm) |
| Reading speed (manufacturer information) | 530 MB/s |
| Write speed (manufacturer information) | 445 MB/s |
| Manufacturer’s warranty | 3 years |
| Optional | — |
<>Test and Review: SanDisk Ultra Plus SSD on Marvell 9 Controller175
SanDisk Ultra Plus in detail
Sandisk Ultra Plus 256 GB Micro SD card with adapter, 130 MB/s, up to 90 MB/s premium data transfer rate, class 10 FHD video recording and playback, ideal for mobile
Delivery options and delivery speed may vary by location..jpg)
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